They fought hard, but in the end it was just too much for Otago to overcome what was a clinical Counties-Manukau team in the ITM Cup Championship final.
Counties-Manukau ran in three tries in the final quarter to bury Otago's hopes and run out winners 41-16.
It wasn't as comprehensive as the score would suggest though. Otago remained competitive for the majority of the game, and going into the final quarter the score were right in it at 20-16. But an outstanding try to August Pulu in the corner and a good kick from Baden Kerr saw them trail by
eleven with 20 minutes to go.
And then came what was possibly the defining moment. After being awarded a penalty within kickable range, Fumiaki Tanaka took a quick tap and was able to catch the Counties-Manukau defenders not back ten metres. However, this was inexplicably missed by referee Keith Brown, who proceeded to award Counties-Manukau a penalty at the next ruck.
Whilst the loss can't be blamed on one moment, this was very much a huge moment in the game as had the penalty been given there was a possible three points and a further kickoff reception. This could have brought the score to 27-19 and given Otago the chance to attack off the kickoff.
But it wasn't to be and Counties-Manukau were able to relieve the pressure they had been under for much of the first 20 minutes of the second half. From here the game changed and led to the dominance they held for the last quarter of the game which resulted in two well-worked tries.
The Counties-Manukau defence had been outstanding leading up to this point, letting in just three points in the second half despite all the pressure Otago had been applying. They conceded five penalties in the first 20 minutes of this spell, but didn't let in a try and it was this that was in the end the difference between the two teams.
Otago simply weren't clinical enough. Finals are often determined by who takes their chances, and in this case Otago didn't take theirs. They created enough and applied enough pressure, but their lack of ability to finish saw them score just one try.
In contrast Counties-Manukau were able to capitalise on their chances, as their backs showed great hands and moved the ball well to touch down five times. It was this high skill level that ensured the scrambling defence that has bailed Otago out countless times this season wasn't enough to save them.
The forwards competed well around the field and gave a much improved performance to that of last week. They were physical and tackled strongly. To go with this the scrum was outstanding and often enjoyed dominance. But the lineout was too inaccurate and too much ball was lost in this department meaning too much attacking ball was turned over.
Liam Coltman was once again the pick of these men, showing great commitment and getting through plenty of work around the field. His fellow front rowers all gave strong performances too, contributing to the strong platform set at scrum time whilst popping up timely around the field.
Rob Verbakel was outstanding around the field, although was at times part of a dysfunctional lineout. He possibly wasn't to blame for this however, as it seemed to be the throwing that was off rather than the jumpers.
The loose forwards all tried hard, with Adam Thomson and Lee Allan both strong on defence and TJ Ioane making a strong impact upon his introduction.
But it was the men out wide who couldn't finish the good work. They came up against a strong defence, but still had enough opportunities that could have seen them touch down for another couple of tries.
Defensively they struggled at times too, as Counties-Manukau seemed to catch them short of numbers. They exploited this well and along with some great hands, this accounted for three of their five tries.
Tamati Ellison was the best of the backs, looking dangerous whenever he had the ball and was generally strong on defence. His ability to make breaks and put his outsides into space was crucial and his absence was noticeable after being substituted with 15 minutes to go.
Fumiaki Tanaka was good too, dealing with some messy ball well and providing good service to his backline.
But the backline never really got going in the way it can do and the strong defensive unit they came up against deserves plenty of credit for this as they have shown themselves to be a lethal combination.
It is hard to begrudge Counties-Manukau the win. They have been the best team all year and their ability to take their chances has really been the difference between them and the rest all season.
Otago can hold their heads high. Considering earlier in the year it was uncertain whether there was going to even be a team, and that the team that eventually took to field was a very much an inexperienced team of promising players, making the final is an outstanding achievement.
They lost to just one Championship side this year, proving themselves to be definitely in the top eight teams in the country, a vast improvement on the 14th placing of two years ago.
And the good news is that this team is young, they have shown they can play some good rugby and they are only going to get better. Many of the great Otago teams in years gone by have taken a season or two to get going. There is no reason why this one can't do the same.
The future is bright and Otago rugby is well and truly on its way back.